Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A unit radio network controller for use in a radio network controller assembly and configured to control a plurality of base stations, each base station controlling at least one radio cell, the unit radio network controller comprising: a set of external interfaces configured for interaction with a core network, at least one base station, and at least one radio network controller; and a set of internal interfaces, distinct from the set of external interfaces, the set of internal interfaces configured at least for interaction with peer unit radio network controllers belonging to the radio network controller assembly; wherein said set of external interfaces is configured to be used by the radio network controller assembly for communication with the plurality of base stations, the core network, and radio network controllers external to the radio network controller assembly; wherein the unit radio network controller is a singleton device which owns a Signalling System #7 interface for the radio network controller assembly which is to be performed by only one unit radio network controller in relation to the core network.
A unit radio network controller, part of a larger radio network controller assembly managing multiple base stations (each controlling radio cells), has two distinct interface sets: external and internal. External interfaces handle communication with the core network, base stations, and other radio network controllers. Internal interfaces, separate from the external ones, facilitate interaction with peer unit radio network controllers within the same assembly. The external interfaces are used for all external communication. This unit is a singleton, meaning it uniquely handles Signalling System #7 (SS7) communication for the entire assembly with the core network. Only this unit controller manages the SS7 interface.
2. The unit radio network controller according to claim 1 , wherein the set of internal interfaces comprises an interface for interaction with a database associated with the radio network assembly, the database storing configuration data comprising mappings of each base station and one of the unit radio network controllers of the radio network assembly.
The unit radio network controller described above also includes, via its internal interfaces, a connection to a database. This database is associated with the radio network controller assembly. It stores configuration data that maps each base station to a specific unit radio network controller within the assembly. Essentially, the database tells the system which unit controller is responsible for which base station.
3. The unit radio network controller according to claim 1 , wherein the internal interfaces are simpler than the external interfaces in terms of the communication protocol employed.
In the unit radio network controller described previously, the communication protocols used by the internal interfaces are simpler than those used by the external interfaces. This means that the way the unit controllers talk to each other within the assembly is less complex compared to how they communicate with the core network, base stations, or external radio network controllers.
4. A radio network controller assembly configured to control a plurality of base stations, each base station controlling at least one radio cell, the radio network controller assembly comprising: a plurality of unit radio network controllers, each unit radio network controller comprising: a set of external interfaces configured for interaction with a core network, at least one base station, and at least one radio network controller; and a set of internal interfaces, distinct from the set of external interfaces, the set of internal interfaces configured at least for interaction with peer unit radio network controllers also comprised in the radio network controller assembly; and a database configured to store configuration data comprising mappings of each base station and one respectively associated unit radio network controller; wherein the radio network controller assembly is configured to use said sets of external interfaces to provide external interfaces of the radio network controller assembly for communication with the plurality of base stations, the core network, and radio network controllers external to the radio network controller assembly, the provided external interfaces being identical to those of an independent radio network controller that is not comprised in a radio network controller assembly, the radio network controller thereby behaving like a single, independent radio network controller from the perspective of the plurality of base stations, the core network, and radio network controllers external to the radio network controller assembly.
A radio network controller assembly manages multiple base stations, each controlling at least one radio cell. The assembly includes multiple unit radio network controllers, each with external interfaces for interacting with a core network, base stations, and other radio network controllers, as well as internal interfaces for communication with other unit controllers within the assembly. A database stores configuration data, including mappings between each base station and its associated unit controller. The assembly uses the external interfaces of the unit controllers to provide a unified set of external interfaces for the entire assembly, ensuring compatibility with the core network, base stations, and external radio network controllers. This design allows the assembly to function as a single, independent radio network controller, maintaining seamless communication and control while distributing the workload across multiple unit controllers. The system enhances scalability and reliability by enabling modular expansion and fault isolation without requiring changes to external interfaces or network configurations.
5. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the configuration data further comprises mappings between each radio cell and one respectively associated unit radio network controller.
In the radio network controller assembly described above, the configuration data stored in the database not only maps base stations to unit radio network controllers, but also maps each radio cell to a specific unit radio network controller. This provides a finer-grained control and assignment of resources within the assembly.
6. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the database is comprised in one of the unit radio network controllers.
In the radio network controller assembly described previously, the database that stores the base station-to-unit controller mappings resides within one of the unit radio network controllers. This centralizes the database function within one of the processing units.
7. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the database is comprised in a device distinct from each of the unit radio network controllers.
In the radio network controller assembly as described previously, the database responsible for storing the base station and unit radio network controller mappings exists as a separate device, distinct from any of the unit radio network controllers. This means the database function is handled by dedicated hardware or software, independent of the processing units controlling the base stations.
8. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 4 , wherein each unit radio network controller comprises mobile device control functionality for any associated mobile devices.
In the radio network controller assembly detailed previously, each unit radio network controller contains mobile device control functionality. This allows each unit to handle tasks related to managing mobile devices connected to its associated base stations, effectively distributing the control plane processing.
9. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 4 , wherein each unit radio network controller is configured to redirect traffic on an end user connection basis to another unit radio network controller for load management.
In the radio network controller assembly described above, each unit radio network controller can redirect user traffic to another unit radio network controller on a per-connection basis. This allows the system to balance the load across the different unit controllers, preventing any single unit from becoming overloaded.
10. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 4 , wherein one of the unit radio network controllers is configured to be a singleton device, responsible for radio singleton functionality comprising network control functionality, which is to be performed by only one unit radio network controller.
Within the radio network controller assembly as described previously, one of the unit radio network controllers is designated as a "singleton." This unit is responsible for specific network control functions that must be handled by only one controller in the entire assembly. These are radio singleton functions.
11. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 10 , wherein a second one of the unit radio network controllers is configured to be a standby singleton device, arranged to take over network control functionality tied to the singleton device when that singleton device is unable to continue to perform the radio singleton functionality.
Expanding on the radio network controller assembly described above with a singleton unit, a second unit radio network controller is configured as a standby singleton. This standby unit is designed to take over the network control functionality of the primary singleton unit if the primary unit fails or becomes unavailable.
12. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 10 , wherein said one of the unit radio network controllers owns a Signalling System #7 interface for the radio network controller assembly.
Expanding on the radio network controller assembly described with a singleton unit, the singleton unit owns the Signalling System #7 (SS7) interface for the entire assembly. This means all SS7 communication with the core network is handled exclusively by this specific unit controller.
13. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the provided external interfaces of the radio network controller assembly comprise a single lu interface for communicating with the core network, a single lur interface for communicating with any radio network controllers external to the radio network controller assembly, and a single lub interface for communicating with the plurality of base stations.
The radio network controller assembly described above presents the following external interfaces: a single Iu interface for communicating with the core network, a single Iur interface for communicating with external radio network controllers, and a single Iub interface for communicating with the plurality of base stations. These single interfaces act as the external access points for the entire assembly.
14. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 4 , wherein the provided external interfaces of the radio network controller assembly conform to a defined telecommunications standard, but said sets of internal interfaces do not conform to the defined telecommunications standard.
In the radio network controller assembly from the previous description, the external interfaces exposed by the assembly adhere to defined telecommunications standards. However, the internal interfaces used for communication between the unit radio network controllers do *not* need to conform to these standards. This allows for greater flexibility and optimization within the assembly.
15. The radio network controller assembly according to claim 4 , wherein an external interface of the radio network controller assembly uses SS7, and the sets of internal interfaces use TCP/IP.
The radio network controller assembly, as previously defined, uses SS7 for its external interfaces. The sets of internal interfaces for communication between the unit radio network controllers use TCP/IP. Thus, external communication uses SS7 while internal communication uses TCP/IP.
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October 28, 2014
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